Two of the fugitives managed to remain free by adeptly avoiding the . . . . . . of the police.

The correct answer is B. pursuit.

A. torture is the act of inflicting severe pain on someone as a punishment or to force them to do something.
B. pursuit is the act of chasing or following someone or something.
C. discovery is the act of finding something that was previously unknown or hidden.
D. following is the act of going after someone or something.
E. repression is the act of suppressing or controlling something.

In this case, the fugitives are trying to avoid being caught by the police. They are doing this by being very careful and not letting the police find them. This is an example of pursuit.